If you own a physical shop, then it’s absolutely crucial that you have a welcoming appearance. Businesses often tend to solely focus on the interior of their business and completely skip over the exterior. It’s understandable to see why. You’re inside of a space for eight hours a day, and customers are going to come in and browse.
So of course the inside should look nice and orderly, but what about the outside? Exterior aesthetics should also be a very high priority for your business. When a customer passes by your building, they’re immediately getting their first impression of the business. This means that they’re already judging what your business is like before even stepping inside.
Of course you’re going to want to make the best first impression that you can for your business, which is why it’s very important that you look into taking care of the outside of your storefront and the exterior surroundings as well. These are some helpful tips that you’re going to need to create that best first impression for your business.
Begin with landscaping
There are plenty of steps that can improve your business right now, and landscaping the surroundings right outside of your business is going to be one of the very best. Just like homes need curb appeal in order to boost up their value, it’s the same for businesses as well. Having nice curb appeal shows that you care about the appearance of your business and that you’re working towards making the business look nice. This is not only going to increase property value but it will also increase the perception and value that potential customers will have on your business. Overall, it’s important to take care of the storefront and the surroundings.
If you’re renting out the spot then you can look into talking to your landlord about hiring landscapers, but if you own the building then why not look into a team of professional landscapers? But if you’re wanting to save some money then this could also be something that you do yourself. Just look into handling some tasks like picking off dead leaves, trimming the trees and bushes, cutting the grass, pulling weeds, but also planting plenty of flowers. One great idea would include creating a pathway that goes into your store and have plants such as azaleas or hydrangeas bordering the pathway. The smell is lovely and it gives the customer a very warm welcome.
Clean up the windows and doors
For any window shoppers that may pass by, it may be best to have clean windows. This lets them see inside the store clearly but it also gives off the impression how clean and tidy the store is. This is going to be bonus points for you. Plus dirty windows will make any building look old and worn down. You can have a brand new modern building but dirty windows can still put a major damper on the appearance. But if you have additional floors that are hard to reach then look into hiring a team of professional window cleaners. But it’s important to not skip out on the door as well, as it also needs to be cleaned.
Fresh coat of paint
While this may depend on your storefront and the material the building is made out of, sometimes a fresh coat of paint can truly make a difference. This can include the area around the windows, your door, and the whole building as well. Whether you paint yourself or hire a painter, just don’t skip this step. It can truly make your storefront look good as new.
Don’t forget the little things
The little things are what’s going to make your storefront appear nice and welcoming. This can include something such as adding a little wreath to the outside of your door, a sign out front to reel in customers, potted plants, but even a little bench for people to sit at. All of these little things can truly add up to make a massive difference as they not only make your storefront look warm and inviting but it could help them appear “instagrammable” and cute storefronts on social media can basically be free publicity.
Think about the parking lot
If you have a parking lot right in front of your storefront then there may be a chance you’ve been completely overlooking it, right? Believe it or not, but the parking lot plays a major role in curb appeal. You want to completely avoid potholes and cracks as these can impact the impression of your store. Thankfully, there are professionals that can help if you’re struggling with cracks in your parking lot, so you can check out https://scsealing.com/repair/ to find out more and to get this repaired.
While cracks and potholes are essential for removing from parking lots it’s also best to look into other ways to enhance the parking lot. This can include putting a fresh coat of paint on the lines, adding a fresh layer of tar, but it doesn’t need to be that expensive either. Just picking up the trash, pulling weeds, and ensuring that the parking lot lights are good can be more than enough as well.
Create a public space
Public spaces have been slowly growing in popularity and it can also be a nice way to attract attention to your business. Passerby’s may notice you have a few benches, they’ll decide to take a seat and then get curious about your shop. This is a very small way to advertise but you’re helping the public while also giving a soft nudge for people to visit your store. Benches don’t have to be expensive either. They can be as low as $100 from garden shops.
Fix any damage you see outside
If you see any exterior damage to the building, especially the store front, look into taking care of that immediately. A paint job is one of the most common ways to fix up some minor damage but when it comes to buildings it can be a lot more. Over time, paint tends to chip off and fade so this needs to be fixed. But even if there are holes, cracks, stains, or any other unpleasant damage, look into fixing these up as soon as possible.
